The penny sales tax that Barrow County voters approved five summers ago for capital projects has generated millions of dollars for the county.

So to keep the money flowing after the current funding cycle ends in 2012, Barrow County Commission Chairman Danny Yearwood wants to start preparing now for a spring referendum.

Yearwood requested a joint meeting of the county commissioners and local mayors July 7.

The Barrow County Mayors Association asked for a month delay, but county officials moved forward with Wednesday morning’s meeting to get the process started.

CFO Rose Kisaalita told the Barrow Journal that the county has to get started now in order to meet deadlines in the months-long process for getting a SPLOST renewal on the ballot.

She said a March 2011 referendum is planned, because county officials want to have enough time to put the issue before voters twice before the current SPLOST funding cycle ends at the end of June 2012.

“We want to go in March 2011, because if voters do not approve it, we have to wait 12 months (for the second vote),” Kisaalita said.
ROCKY ROAD AHEAD
The absence of the mayors at the kickoff meeting likely will be only the first bump in the road leading to the 2012 SPLOST vote – or votes.

The mayors are unhappy about the disbursements the municipalities have received to date in the 2005 SPLOST cycle.

And there is a real question as to whether voters will renew the tax in the current economic and political climates.

Yearwood was not in office when the county struck its 2005 deal with the mayors and the voters. But for more than a year he has been sweating the possible failure of the 2012 SPLOST renewal.

For more on this story, see the July 7 edition of the Barrow Journal or click hereto read the full story online when you sign up for a free trial of our new e-edition. Free trial offer ends July 13.

So in 2012 we can get rid of Yearwood (Primary) and renew the SPLOST in Nov.

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